Maternity dress



June 29, 1937. BADANES' 2,085,179

MATERNITY DRES S Filed Dec. 24, 1936 Patented June 29, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

My present invention relates generally to clothing, and has particular reference to an improved maternity dress,

A general object of the invention is to provide a dress embodying structural features of unusual simplicity for permitting the girth to be selectively varied.

Briefly, a dress constructed in accordance with the present invention consists of a back portion provided with certain fasteners, and a front portion having straps extending rearwardly and provided with fastening means adapted to cooperate with the fasteners on the back portion.

More particularly, the fasteners on the back portion are arranged along the waistline in spaced relationship, and consist of two symmetrical sets. Any suitable type of fastener may be used, but

7 buttons are preferred because of their simplicity and because of the ornamental effect which buttons produce.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the excess material which is needed when the girth of the garment is increased is accommodated in the form of two pleats, one at each side of the dress. These pleats are inwardly folded and releasable fastening means are provided for holding the pleats in folded, concealed condition whenever the excess material is not needed.

I achieve the foregoing objects, and such other objects as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out, in the manner illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, wherein- Figure 1 is a front view of a dress constructed 7 in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a rear view thereof;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the relationship of the parts when the girth is at its minimum; and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3, with the parts adjusted to increase the girth.

I have chosen for illustration a dress having a front portion IE! and a rear portion II, the dress being of the type which is slipped over the head. At the waistline, the rear portion is provided with the spaced buttons I2, I3, I4, and I5. The buttons I2 and I3 constitute one set, and the buttons I l and I5 constitute another set, these sets r being symmetrically arranged with respect to the medial axis of the back.

Extending rearwardly from the sides of the front portion II] are the straps I6 and I1, each of which is provided with a buttonhole. This 55 buttonhole constitutes a fastening means adapted to cooperate with any selected one of the corresponding set of buttons.

Thus, in Figure 3, it will be observed that the strap I 6 is in engagement with the button I3, while the strap I1 is in engagement with the button I4. In this relationship of the parts, the girth of the dress is at its minimum.

The excess material which must be provided for is disposed in the form of two pleats I8 and I9, folded inwardly and disposed behind the side edges of the front portion I0. When this excess material is not needed, the pleats I8 and I9 are held in their folded, concealed positions by means of cooperable and releasable fastening means 28 and 2 I, which may be in the form of snap fasteners or the like.

When the girth of the dress is to be increased, the fasteners 20 and 2| are released, and the straps I6 and H are caused to engage the but tons I2 and I5, as shown in Figure 4. The buttons I3 and I4 are thereupon purely ornamental.

It will be understood that additional buttons or equivalent fastening elements may be used, and that the invention is not restricted to the use of a total of four buttons or fastening elements along the waistline of the back portion.

In general, it will be understood that changes in the details, herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature of my invention, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claim. It is, therefore, intended that these details be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

' Having thus described my invention, and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- In a maternity dress, a back portion having two symmetrical sets of spaced fasteners arranged in a horizontal row along the waistline, said back portion extending throughout the back and around the sides of the dress, a front portion, and straps extending rearwardly from the side edges of the front portion, each of said straps having a fastening means adapted to cooperate with any selected one of the corresponding set of fasteners, whereby the girth of the dress may be selectively varied, said dress being provided with a pleat at each side edge of the front portion at the juncture of said front portion with the sides of the dress to provide the excess material needed at the front when the girth of the dress is increased.

SAMUEL E. BADANES. 

